Being Blanche or Being The Boy Scout?

In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois famously confesses: "I always rely on the kindness of strangers." ...just before she's ushered off to an asylum. What Blanche relied on was that people would be willing to work within her imaginary world instead of the real world.

Today I was blessed by the kindness of a stranger, too. But he's fully real.

As I bashed through a pothole at the bottom of Rosedale Road, I missed the fact that one of my panniers had come unhooked and fallen off my bike. Somehow I didn't notice the shift in the bike's balance -- and didn't realize that the pannier with my planner containing all my notes and appointments and contacts and prescriptions and family photos, etc. was missing! I called home. Nancy hopped in the car and drove my commute route. I turned around and hastily pedaled back along the route towards her. After 20 minutes of fruitless search, we met in the middle and drove back towards Princeton. No luck.


Just then the phone rang.

Caller: Hello, is this Edward?
Ted:     Yes! Who's this?
C:        Tucker. I've got your bag.
T:        You are TOTALLY my hero! Thank you, thank you SO much! ...where are you?
C:        At the Princeton Cemetary on Witherspoon. Know how to get here?

As it turns out, Tucker works at the cemetery. He found my business card in the planner and tried my cell phone twice before that, knowing that it was probably pretty critical that I get the bag back as fast as possible. The hand-off and grateful hand-shaking were accomplished. Nancy drove me back to work.

As bicycle travelers, we are more vulnerable and exposed to the world. But that's not all bad. We're more connected with it's humanness, variety, and beauty. We see more, smell more, feel more, and experience more than the unfortunate souls who travel in cramped glass and steel isolation tanks on wheels with synthetic sound pumped in to mask the world's sound-scape.

While traveling as a cyclist, the vast majority of my chance encounters have been pleasant, and affirming of others. Many times I've been given help or good guidance by people I met along the road. And I do my best to offer the same whenever possible.

But rather than relying on the world for kindness, you can improve your odds by following the Scout Motto: Be Prepared!


A few suggestions:

* Check your brakes, tire tread, and tire pressure before every ride.
* Maintain your equipment in good condition. Proactive repairs are much easier in a well lit garage, than a muddy ditch beside the road.
* Carry a kit of quality tools that you know how to use.
* Understand that all the bouncing of bicycling causes everything to loosen up. (My error this morning was not realizing the pannier's tension strap had gradually loosened).
* Communicate clearly and consistently with body language and your position on the roadway.
* Do your best to approach everyone with humility and respect and express appreciation for even the smallest kindness.
* Follow Tucker's example too: Do a good turn daily!